I LOVE MY DADDY

Age Range: 1 - 4

Andreae and Dodd team up again (I Love My Mommy, 2011) to create a sweet look at all the fun a round-faced toddler and daddy experience together.

A pleasingly rhythmic text paired with oversized illustrations in black-outlined saturated brights ensures instant appeal for the youngest readers. Child and dad make pancakes, “play horsies,” sing songs, dance, go on the swings, watch television, share pizza and cuddle at bedtime. Stars in muted colors pepper the backgrounds on most of the pages, becoming vibrant on the final page as a bedcover pattern. The smiling narrator declares, “My daddy’s such a lovely man, / In fact, I am his BIGGEST fan!” The delight is in the details: Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy looking for the slightly gray bunny on most pages, while parents will nod at the occasional mess of batter splattered on the kitchen counter and cookie crumbs scattered over the sofa.

While odes on the wonderfulness of dads are plentiful, this stands out for its spot-on execution and colorful charm. (Picture book. 1-4)